Bicycle alarm-bell.



Patented July 4, I899.

J. CUTTER. BICYCLE ALARM BEL L.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1899.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. COTTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BICYCLE ALARM-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,074, dated July4,1899. Application filed March 10, 1899. Serial No. 708,540. (Nomodel.)

To rtZZ whom it may ooncernr Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. OOTTER, aresident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain Improvement inAlarm-Bells for Bicycles and Similar WVheel-Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to bells for bicycles and kindred vehicles that maybe operated through the medium of a rotating Wheel and may be sounded atthe will of the rider through the medium of the operating mechanism thatis contacted with a rotating wheel.

The novel features of my invention consist, first, in the constructionof the sounding mechanism; second, the means whereby the same is held inplace, and, third, the means employed to shift the sounding mechanisminto and out of operative contact with the rotating wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the belldetached from the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a detail front or end elevation ofa bicycle, showing the operating mechanism in elevation and bellremoved. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation with bell in section. v

1 is a steering-head of a bicycle of the ordinary construction.

2 are the forks, in the lower end of which is journaled the wheel 3. Onthe upper end of head 1 is the handle or steering bar 4.

5 is an operating-lever fulcrumed to the strap 6, surrounding thehandle-bar 4. To one end ofsaid handle-bar is pivoted the rod 7,extending down and passing through a guide 8, secured to thesteering-head, and 9 is a recovery-spring, one end'of which bearsagainst the guide and the other against a shoulder on the rod 7.

Ooming now more particularly to the present invention, 10 is a plate, onthe rear side of which is a lug 11, through which passes the rod 7. Thelug may be fixed or adjustably secured by any suitable means.

12 is a post projecting from the front side ofplate 10 and to which issecured the bell 13 by a screw or any other means.

14 is a tappet-bar, square in cross-section or of any other suitableconfiguration, to the terminals of which are secured tappets 15 and 16,one permanent and the other removable,

and 17 is an arm adjustably secured to the bar let and projectinglaterally therefrom, and through the outer end of which passes freelythe connecting-bar 18, having a fixed collar 19 and an adjustable collar20, (or both screwed onto the section 26, and a jam-nut 27 rests againstthe side thereof. The outer end of each section of the shaft is conicaland fits a socket in the lower end of a fork 28 of the plate 10. 29 is arubber-rimmed wheel around said hub.

Having thus described the construction of my invention, the operation isas follows: As indicated in Fig. 2, all parts are intheir normalposition, position, the lever 5 is operated by the rider, depressing therod 7 and all parts secured thereto, thus contacting the rim 29 on thehub 24 with the wheel 3, when the shaft will be rotated and theeccentric thereon will cause the connecting-rod 18 to reciprocate, whichTo bring them into operative in turn reciprocates the tappet-arm 17through the connection between said members, the spring connection 21causing a sharp and elastic contact to be made by the tappets with thebell 13 and by such contact causing an alarm. The operating mechanismthat is carried by the rod 7 is returned to its normal position by thespring 9 upon a release of the handle 5 by the rider.

The construction here shown may be attached to the ordinary brakemechanism that is now adopted in bicycle construction and not detractfrom or alter the construction of the sounding mechanism or means foroperating same by contact witha rotating wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An alarm-bell forbicycles consisting of a reciprocatory tappet-arm, means whereby thesame is elastically operated, and an eccentric operated by contactingwith a rotating wheel substantially as shown and described.

2. An alarm-bell for bicycles consisting of a plate upon which ismounted a bell, and mechanism to strike said bell, means for operatingsaid mechanism consisting of an eccentric mounted on a sectional shaft,a wheel on said shaft, adapted to be contacted with a rotating wheel,and conical bearings at the terminals of the sectional shaft, havingbearing in the forks of the carrying plate as shown.

3. An alarm-bell for bicycles consisting of a reciprocating plate towhich is secured a bell, tappets therein, an eccentric for operating thesame, an operating-rod to which said plate is secured, a lever fulcrumed to the handle-bar, and means whereby said lever is returned to thenormal position as shown. 4. An alarm-bell for bicycles consisting of aplate, a reciprocating bar mounted thereon, tappets at the terminals ofsaid bar, an arm on said rod, an elastic connection to said arm, meansfor reciprocating said elastic connection, and a bell, the rim of whichis in the path of the tappet-bar substantially as shown and described.

5. An alarm-bell forbicycles, consisting of a reciprocating plate, abell secured thereon,

reciprocating tappets for said bell, a sectional shaft mounted at thelower end of the plate one of its sect-ions being provided with threads;at driving-wheel on the shaft, an eccentric on the threaded portion ofthe shaft, a bar having an eye at one end surrounding the eccentric, aflexible connection between the other end and the bell-tappets, andmeans for moving the plate, substantially as set forth.

6. An alarm-bell for bicycles consisting of a reciprocating plate, abell secured thereon, reciprocating tappets for said bell, a sectionalshaft mounted at the lower end of the plate and with its ends journaledin hearings in a fork of said plate, the sections being adjustable toeach other; a driving-wheel on the shaft, an eccentric on the shaft, ajamnut resting against the eccentric, a bar having an eye at one endsurrounding the eccentric, a flexible connection between the other endand the bell-tappets, and means for moving the plate, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. COTTER.

Witnesses:

Josnrn E. PAER, R. S. OBRIEN.

